“We’re excited to get this underway so we can get this pool improved for the long term,” said Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein.
Dayton owns three indoor pools — aside from Belmont, Greater Dayton Recreation Center at Roosevelt Commons at 2021 W. Third St. and Northwest Recreation Center at 1600 Princeton Drive both have pools.
Belmont Pool is the oldest of these and the last to receive improvements. Belmont Pool’s busiest season is summertime, where people of all ages use the pool for swim classes or exercise programs — or to just escape the heat.
A Dayton spokesperson said the city will have a timeline for the project’s beginning after officials meet with contractors.
The city’s request for proposals for the project highlighted a few focus areas for the pool: accessibility, structural issues and safety concerns with the spaces between the pool deck and the water line.
The renovations will begin with the gutting of current pool equipment and finishings, including the concrete deck, gutter system, diving boards, steps, ladders and pool lighting. Workers will also assess the concrete ceiling and beams while the pool is drained and will remove and replace any deteriorating concrete.
This project will also install a new sanitary lateral, leading east into Belmont Park, that will allow the pool to drain into the sanitary sewer system.
The 160,000-gallon pool is open five days per week, with closures on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When asked if the pool project will see the aquatic facility’s hours expand, a city spokesperson said hours will depend on what staffing looks like at the time.
The project’s launch comes after the city previously cancelled it due to a budget shortfall for the planned work, with the project originally including renovations to the pool’s locker rooms. The renovation is funded through federal Community Development Block grant funds.
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